Holiday Wishes Quotes

“If you don't leave your past in the past, it'll destroy your future. You've got to live for what today's offering, not for what yesterday took away from you.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“We’re all angels,” Elle, another bridesmaid, said. “And when someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly . . . on a broomstick.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“I want you to give me a chance.”
“A chance at what?”
Shifting so that he could press his forehead to hers, he said one word. “You.”
Her breath caught. “Sean,” she breathed.
“Because you’ve got me,” he said. “All of me.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“It wasn’t love at first sight,” Sean said quietly. “But I think that’s the point. First, they had to learn to like each other. And then trust each other.” His voice was a little thick. Gruff. “Love born of that, trust, is an everlasting kind of love.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“We’re all angels,” Elle, another bridesmaid, said. “And when someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly . . . on a broomstick. We’re flexible like that.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“Okay, you know what? After much consideration, I’ve decided adulthood isn’t for me. Thank you and goodbye.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“But life is short. Too short. I’m going to learn to eat some of the cookies I bake instead of giving them all away to guests. I’m going to read sappy books with happy-ever-after endings instead of book club reads that make me want to kill myself. I’m going to sing in the rain and jump in the puddles no matter what shoes I’m wearing. In fact, I’m going to do it barefoot without worrying about getting a gangrene infection from a cut. I’m going to live life to the fullest, Sean. No regrets.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“Hold on." Pru gave him a long look. "if you're trying to say you don't want to do this after talking me into it, then let me be clear and say that I will run you through with my umbrella while you sleep."

Finn blinked. "That was oddly specific and violent.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“After that, he'd turned to fighting, and not the good kind either. Finn, physically older by seven years, mentally older by about a hundred, had single-handedly saved Sean from just about every situation he'd ever landed himself in.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“His smile was badass wicked and filled with trouble as he put a knee on the bed and began to crawl toward her with nefarious intent in his sharp gaze.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“He had to laugh. “Lotti, when I first met you, you were in PE class wearing a baggy T-shirt and sweats and I wanted you.”
“I’m being serious, Sean.”
“So am I.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“Okay, tough girl,” he said softly, nuzzling at her throat. “No questions. No talking. You go ahead and give ignoring what’s still between us your best shot. I’ll wait right here.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“I've had a rough year. I screwed up some pretty big things, I've worked too hard, and I'm tired. But life is short. Too short. I'm going to learn to eat some the cookies I bake instead of giving them all away to guests. I'm going to read sappy books with happy-ever-after endings instead of book club reads that make me want to kill myself. I'm going to sing in the rain and jump in the puddles no matter what shoes I'm wearing. In fact, I'm going to do it barefoot without worrying about getting a gangrene infection from a cut. I'm going to live life to the fullest, Sean. No regrets.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“At the empathetic tone in Sean’s voice, Lotti’s heart and stomach and head all clenched in unison. “What do you mean you can’t give me what I want?” she asked. “All you have to do is walk away.”
“Tried that already,” he said. “And it was the biggest mistake of my life.” He brought her hand up to his mouth and met her gaze over their entwined hands.
He was looking at her like . . . well, she wasn’t sure what was going on in his head, but her thoughts were racing along with her pulse.
“You’re incredible, Lotti. I hope you know that.” Very slowly, clearly giving her time to object, he pulled her into him.
Her breath caught at the connection and his eyes heated in response as he slid a hand up her spine and then back down again, pressing her in tight to him from chest to thighs and everywhere in between. His nose was cold at the crook of her neck, but his breath was warm against her skin. She felt his lips press against the sensitive spot just behind her ear and she shivered. “You’re trembling,” he said, his voice low. “Are you cold?”
“No,” she whispered. Try the opposite of cold . . .
“Nervous?”
“No.” Not even close. The way his mouth moved across her skin was making her warm all over. Not that she could articulate that with his body pressed to hers and his fingers dancing over her skin. She was literally quivering as the memories of what it felt like to be touched by him washed over her, as if no time at all had gone by.
Yes, she’d let him think that their time together had sucked for her. But it hadn’t. Not even close. That long-ago night he’d evoked feelings and a hunger in her that she’d never forgotten. “I’ve just had a long day,” she said.
“I know. I’m going to make it better.” He pressed a kiss at the juncture of her jaw and ear before he made his way to her lips for a slow, hot kiss, his mouth both familiar and yet somehow brand-new. She was so far gone that when he pulled back she protested with a moan, but he held her tight, staring down at her with heated eyes. “Just checking,” he murmured.
“Checking what?”
“That you want this as badly as I do.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“Part 3: She hadn’t “stayed.” And neither had Finn. They both flanked Sean, munching on the cookies.
A woman sat at the check-in desk with a laptop, her fingers a blur, the tip of her Santa hat quivering as she typed away. She looked up and smiled as she took in the group. That is until her gaze landed on Sean and she froze.
He’d already done the same because holy shit—
“Greetings,” she said, recovering first and so quickly that no one else seemed to notice as she stood and smiled warmly everyone but Sean. “Welcome to the Hartford B&B. My name’s Charlotte Hartford and I’m the innkeeper here. How can I help you?”
Good question. And Sean had the answer on the tip of his tongue, which was currently stuck to the roof of his mouth because he hadn’t been prepared for this sweet and sassy redheaded blast from his past.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“PART1: To say Sean felt stressed was a huge understatement. Give him a cliff to scale or a bar brawl to break up. Hell, give him a freight train to try to outrun, anything but having to pull off being the best man for his brother Finn’s wedding—including but not limited to keeping said brother from losing his collective shit.
It’s not like Sean didn’t understand. Getting married was a big deal. Okay, so he didn’t fully understand, not really, but he wanted to. He really did. And how funny was that? Sean O’Riley, younger brother, hook-up king extraordinaire, was suddenly tired of the game and found himself aching for his own forever after.
“We almost there?” Finn asked him from the backseat of the vehicle Sean was driving.
“Yep.”
“And you double checked on our reservations?”
“Yep.”
“No, I’m serious, man,” Finn said. “Remember when you took me to Vegas and when we got there, every hotel was booked and we had to stay at the Magic-O motel?”
“Man, a guy screws up one time . . .”
“We had a stripper pole in our rooms, Sean.”
Sean sighed. “Okay, but to be fair, that was back when I was still in my stupid phase. I promise you that we have reservations—no stripper poles. I even double and triple checked, just like you asked me a hundred and one times. Pru, I hope you realize you’re marrying a nag.”
Pru, Finn’s fiancée, laughed from the shotgun position. “Hey, one of us has to be the nag in this relationship, and it isn’t me.”
Sean held up a palm and Pru leaned over the console to give him a high-five.
“Just so you know,” Sean said to Finn, “I didn’t pick this place, your woman did.”
“True story,” Pru said. “The B&B’s closed to the public this entire weekend. Sean booked the whole place for our bachelor/bachelorette party weekend extravaganza.”
“I superheroed this thing,” Sean said.
Finn snorted and let loose of a small smile because they both knew that for most of Sean’s childhood, that’s what he’d aspired to be, a superhero—sans tights though. Tights had never been Sean’s thing, especially after suffering through them for two seasons in high school football before he’d mercifully cracked his clavicle.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go check on the other guests.”
“It’s late,” he said. “Everyone’s in their rooms. Trust me, they’d come out if they needed something from you.”
She cocked her head to listen, but not a soul was moving.
“Not even a mouse,” he said with a smile, reading her mind. Then he took her Maglite and beamed it up the stairs. “See? No one. They’re all in bed. Tell me what else you need to do, I’ll help.”
“Hmm,” she said.
“And that means . . . ?”
“The last time you ‘helped’ me, it’d been to remove my jeans,” she said.”
― Jill Shalvis, Holiday Wishes